


Turn my life upside down (Matchmaker, matchmaker)

by Rixesppha



Series: UraIchi Week 2019 [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Ichigo is a nerd and we all stan, M/M, POV Outsider, shakespeare quotes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 16:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18920551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rixesppha/pseuds/Rixesppha
Summary: Angela has to work with a classmate for a school project. She gets Kurosaki Ichigo.(UraIchi Week 2019 - Day 3: POV Outsider)





	Turn my life upside down (Matchmaker, matchmaker)

Angela had sat in the only seat left available in the lecture hall, huffing slightly from having to run. Of course she would be late on her first day of class, halfway across the globe. Ugh. Of all the times to mix up the words right and left - whatever.

The lecture was just a basic introduction to Shakespeare class, and she realized quickly that it was going to be a lot more interesting than she had thought, because they were assigned a partner project within the first 15 minutes. She eyed her neighbor. He had unnaturally bright orange hair and hadn’t stopped scowling the entire time.

“..good morning?”

“Morning.”

Angela frowned to herself. This was going to be awful. Group projects always were. 

“Black Angela.” She introduced herself.

“Kurosaki Ichigo. Do you want to exchange numbers so we can meet up outside of class?”

She pulled out her phone, opening it to a new contact save. At least he was willing to reach out? She wasn’t going to get her hopes up.

\--

Angela took it all back. Kurosaki-san was a _riot_. He was incredibly intelligent, had the same sense of humor as her, was patient when she got her languages mixed up, and most of all reminded her of her younger brother which was a nice balm to her homesickness. 

She felt like she’d known him for ages despite it only being a week. 

“Black-san.” 

Grinning, she slid into her seat.

“Morning, Kurosaki! How was your weekend?”

The teenager shrugged. He looked...easier this morning, less tense. 

“Spent it at home, got to see my sisters and -” 

Angela furrowed her brows. She...didn’t know that word. What?

“Who is that?”

Kurosaki settled his notes and shrugged. The class wasn’t due to start for another ten minutes, thankfully.

“Kisuke. Getaboushi is just a nickname I have for him. He’s...My mentor? He taught me a lot when I was younger.”

Angela chuckled. With Kurosaki talking a little slower, it was easier for her to pick out what he was saying. 

“What a nickname. Does he call you something equally as descriptive?”

“No, just...Kurosaki-san.”

Angela paused where she was prepping her own note taking materials. Was that...disappointment she heard in Kurosaki’s voice?

Ohohoho. The older sister inside her cackled with anticipation. 

\--

Operation: Matchmake Kurosaki Ichigo took off on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. Angela had invited Kurosaki to a neat little cat cafe she’d found - sue her, she was still in tourist mode - so they could, ostensibly, begin working on their project, but secretly so she could needle him about this ‘Getaboushi’, their relationship, and everything else she would need to propel him towards True Love (™). 

Was she already a tad too invested? Possibly.

“Good morning, Kurosaki!”

He huffed and settled into the seat opposite her. Her things were already out, including the massive tome that was one of their textbooks, cluttering the table.

“It’s 2 in the afternoon, Black.”  
“It’s morning somewhere.”

Kurosaki shakes his head and shoves her things around, making space for his bag. There is an interesting set of charms attached to one of the metal loops on the bag - a strawberry, a soccer ball, a pair of chopsticks. All of them are scratched but clean, so clearly Kurosaki cares about them, but what really catches Angela’s eyes is the only other charm: it’s a little green and white striped fan, but the shiny coating on it is worn smooth from touch.

She continues to think about it through their entire study session. She knows it’s important somehow, Kurosaki isn’t the kind of person to keep meaningless trinkets like that around. It has to mean something.

“Doesn’t Ichigo mean strawberry?”

Kurosaki stops and Angela realizes she’s interrupted him mid-sentence and blushes a little. Whoops. Clearly she was so focused on this - she has to learn more about Kurosaki and his crush, so she can successfully shove him onto the right path! - that she zoned out entirely. Thankfully, Kurosaki doesn’t look overly mad. 

“One reading, yeah. My name is written with different kanji though.”

He scribbles out his name and they spend the next few minutes discussing Angela’s hatred of the kanji system (her brain hurts all the damn time trying to read). Before they get back to Shakespeare and modern day interpretations and all that brouhaha, she does manage to squeeze a little more out of Kurosaki:

“So the charms are…?”  
“Rukia found a store that made personalized charms for phones, but I don’t want them on my phone.”

She stores the name away for the moment. Dog with a bone, Angela repeats in her head. Gotta get to the meat of the matter. Do not become distracted by the other people in Kurosaki’s life who are probably just as fascinating and fun as he is - DAMNIT.

“You’re the strawberry.”

He glowers at the bag but sighs.

“Yes. Yuzu is the chopsticks, since she’s a very good cook, and Karin is the soccer ball. She’s played since middle school and carries one with her everywhere.”

Angela waits a moment for him to mention the other one. When he doesn’t, she leans forward and grins in the way that always makes her younger brother uncomfortable and spill his secrets.

“And the fan…?”

Kurosaki leans away from her, looking flustered, and the bridge of his nose and across the tops of his cheeks flush the palest shade of pink before he somehow wrestles himself under control.

“Getaboushi always has a fan and uses it to cover his face.”  
“Do you want to be the fan, Kurosaki?”

It takes a moment for her - really poorly phrased - innuendo to get through to him, and she is treated to the sight of Kurosaki flushing cherry red and spluttering. She laughs and almost falls off her chair.

“You do have a crush on him! Tell big sister all about it!”

Kurosaki settles, still flushed fairly red and spluttering. He lasts about three seconds before slumping. Angela feels a little bad for him. She can steamroll over just about anyone without meaning to, and she’s been told it can get kind of annoying and hurtful.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want Kurosaki. I’m sorry for being pushy.”

They sit in silence. Angela worries at her lip and fiddles with her pen. She’s gone and bungled this up pretty badly; her specialty! 

“He’s known me since I was 15. I don’t think he’ll ever look at me like that.”

His voice is soft and Angela struggles to hear him over the sounds of the shop around them. She frowns and reaches forward, lightly shoving Kurosaki in the shoulder.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a catch, Kurosaki, and anyone with eyes can see that.”

Glancing around, Angela takes a deep breath. Time for a little unsolicited advice.

“Even if it flops, even if he doesn’t ever see you like that, it’s better to have said something and settled yourself than stew in the uncertainty.” She drums her fingers on the table. “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

“If you can quote Shakespeare at me in Japanese you should be able to navigate street signs.”

Angela laughs and the tension is broken. They refocus on their project and she doesn’t push anymore. She does sometimes have tact.  
\---

 _Kurosaki:_ No legacy is as rich as honesty.

_Me:_ ??? 

_Me:_ Kurosaki what is this code for? 

_Kurosaki:_ Make not your thoughts your prisons. 

_Me:_ why are you sending me shakespeare quotes at midnight kurosaki 

_Me:_ are you okay 

_Kurosaki:_ Love comforteth like sunshine after rain. 

_Me:_ did you confess and then immediately decide to tell me through shakespeare quotes like some weirdo 

_Me:_ did it go well??? 

_Kurosaki:_ Yes 

_Me:_ awesome 

_Me:_ i’m glad you got your sunshine after rain you giant nerd 

_Me:_ seriously though why midnight 

**Author's Note:**

> Shakespeare quotes (in order):  
> Our doubts are traitors: Measure by Measure  
> No legacy: All's Well That Ends Well  
> Make not your thoughts: Antony and Cleopatra  
> Sunshine after rain: Venus and Adonis
> 
> :)


End file.
